Every Month I do a review of a different freshwater fish.
These reviews can be very helpful if you own the certain type of fish the review is on.
My website is mostly on advice for freshwater fish, since I have had the most experience with them.
If you have any questions on saltwater, still do not hesitate to ask, but I may not have all the answers.
I can surly direct you toward someone who does.
TIGER BARBS (September)
Scientific Name: Barbus tetrazona
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Puntius
Species: P. tetrazona
Location: Found in Asia in Borneo, Indonesia, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Cambodia.
Size: Can grow up to 7 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide.
Life Span: Lives an average of 6 years.
Habits: Tiger Barbs are schooling fish, for substantial living quality at least 5 is needed. Will nip on fins of other fish when the group is not big enough.
Tank Level: Tiger Barbs tend to stick to the middle and lower parts of the tank.
Food: Omnivore, Tiger Barbs will eat flake foods, they will also will eat live foods. They will eat vegetables such as: bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphinia, krill, zucchini, cucumber and broccoli.
Preferred Habitat: Tiger Barbs like to feel secure, many plans and hiding places.
Tank Mates: Clown Loach, Danios, Red Tail Sharks.
Breeding: Egg layer; Tiger Barbs lay several hundred eggs; usually will lay in the morning on plants. Tiger Barbs will consume the eggs they find.
pH: 6.5
Water: up to a hardness of 10 dGH
Temperature Range: (68-82 F) also (20-27 C)
Tiger Barbs
Tiger Barb Albino Tiger Barb Green Tiger Barb
Mollies (October)
Scientific Name: Poecilia Iatipinna
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Poecilia
Species: P. vivipara
Location: Found Central America in Guatemala, and Mexico.
Size: Can grow up to 10 centimeters long
Life Span: Lives an average of 4 years.
Habits: Mollies are fairly calm but will nip on fish with ling fins.
Tank Level: Mollies tend to swim all over the tank.
Diseases: Mollies can live in brackish water but are more susceptible to diseases.
Food: Omnivore, Mollies will mostly only eat flake foods, but will sometimes eat live foods.
Tank Mates: Platies, Angel Fish, Corydoras, Catfish, Plecostomus, and bigger Tetras.
Breeding: Live Bearers; if you do not have a net or move the offspring to another tank they will get eaten.
pH: 7.5-8.5
Water: About a tablespoon of salt is okay for Mollies to live in.
Temperature Range: (69-82 F) also (20-27 C)
To request information about a fish or anything fish related contact us!
Freshwater Mollies
Daimatian Molly Black Sailfin Molly Harlequin Sailfin Molly
Brackish Mollies
Platinum Lyertail Molly Balloon Molly Marble Lyretail Molly
Marine Mollies
Blue Damselfish Molly Miller Blenny Orangetail Blue Damselfish
Cory Cats (November)
Scientific Name: Corydoras spp.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Silurformes
Family: Callichthyide
Genus: Corydoras
Species: Corydoras Geoffrey
Location: Found in South America.
Size: Range from 3 to five centimeters.
Life Span: Lives an average of 3.5 years.
Habits: Cory Cats are timid; they enjoy groups of three or four of themselves.
Tank Level: Cory Cats tend to stick to the bottom and lower parts of the tank.
Food: Omnivore, Cory Cats will eat flake foods, they also like sinking pellets, and eat algae off the rocks.
Preferred Habitat: They can stand little to none, amounts of salts.
Tank Mates: Other peaceful fish.
Breeding: Egg layer; Cory Cats lay eggs very well hidden. The offspring are very venerable after hatching.
pH: 6.8–7.8
Water: Preferred neutral pH
Temperature Range: (62-77 F) also (17-26 C)
Cory Cats
Emerald Green Cory Agassizi Cory Albino Aeneus Cory
Bristlenose Plecostomus (December)
Scientific Name: Ancistrus sp.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Locricariidae
Genus: Ancistrus
Species: Plecostomus
Location: Found in South America in the Amazon River.
Size: Can grow up to 4.5 inches long.
Life Span: Lives an average of 14 years.
Habits: Bristlenose Pecos can live with a small amount of oxygen.
Tank Level: Bristlenose Plecostomus tend to stick to the bottom and lower parts of the tank; usually anywhere there is algae.
Food: Bristlenose Plecos eat algae.
Preferred Habitat: Tiger Barbs like to feel secure, many plans and hiding places.
Tank Mates: Barbs, Tetras, and Discus.
Breeding: Egg layer; Bristlenose Pelcos breed in caves, and holes. The females lay around 20-200 eggs. The eggs hatch in around 4-10 days after being laid.
pH: 6.0-7.5
Water: Bristlenose Plecos are tolerant of almost all water conditions. A hardness of 5 to 15 degrees is sufficient.
Temperature Range: (73-82 F)
Albino Bristlenose Plecostmous
Red Tailed Black Sharks (January)
Scientific Name: Barbus tetrazona
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Epalzeorhynchos
Species: E. bicolor
Location: Extinct in the wild.
Size: Can grow up to 6 inches.
Life Span: Can live up to 8 years.
Habits: The dominant shark will harass the others if they are combined with other sharks in the tank. Will do fine in a community tank without other red tail sharks. They are good jumpers.
Tank Level: All around the tank.
Food: Scavengers and will eat flakes, frozen, freeze-dried and live foods.
Preferred Habitat: Hiding places to feel secure.
Tank Mates: Any community fish, do not get along with its own kind.
Breeding: Usually will not breed in aquariums.
pH: between 6.8 and 7.5.
Water: A little acidic or soft.
Temperature Range: (70-79F) also (22-26 C).
Red Tailed Shark
Clown Loach (February)
Scientific Name: Chromobotia Macracanthus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cobitidae
Genus: Chromobotia
Species: C. Macracanthus
Location: Found in Indonesia, Sumatra and Borneo.
Size: From 11 to 14 inches.
Life Span: 15 years or more.
Habits: Clown Loaches prefer to live in groups of 3 or 4. They need a lot of room to move around. A fifty gallon or bigger is substantial. If there are less than 3 loaches they tend to hide. They prefer high lighting. They do not like changes of tank or tank mates.
Tank Level: Loaches will move all around the tank if there is more than one of a kind. They will hide if there are changes and only one or two of the kind.
Food: Loaches like worms, but will eat flake food.
Preferred Habitat: Many plants and hiding places.
Tank Mates: Tiger Barbs and Panda Cory’s.
Breeding: The loaches usually spawn in the wild.
pH: Between 5.0 and 8.0.
Water: Lots of water changes, since they are from streams.
Temperature Range: 77 to 86 F
Clown Loach
Pictures from liveaquaria.com
